Tattooed Heart
by Richard Fernandez
Summary: Kuroneko thought she'd gotten past her love for Kyosuke. When he returns from UCLA, she and Kirino have different ideas on who should be with him. However, Ruri knows that it will all be decided by Kyosuke. So, Ruri will try to sway Kyosuke's love into her favor before he decides. Every chapter name is a song that embodies the chapter. FAV/REVIEW/FOLLOW Note: I don't own the songs.
1. Chapter 1: Unchained Melody

It was cold and raining in Akihabara. The drops created a staccato of splashes and splooshes on the street. Few people were out walking, and even fewer were driving, as the slick roads made it perilous. The lights of the shopping city were bright and cut through the light fog throughout the city streets. Spring was upon Japan, and it was hitting beautifully, as the Cherry Blossom leaves fluttered alongside the rain and sat in puddles that lined the streets.

Ruri Gokuo, or Kuroneko to her friends, noticed this as she and her best friend, Kirino Kousaka, walked down to Toranoana Akiba, a major doujin-shi store. She sighed as she checked her watch. It was 17:00, and it was going to get dark soon. She looked to the sky and saw the stars peeking from behind the rain clouds. She adjusted her black jacket and threw her hood on and watched her best friend walk ahead with an umbrella._ 'Yeah, that's a good friend alright.' _She sighed again and trudged along the walk, relentlessly giddy about seeing some new work from her favorite fan-authors. Ruri was black haired, had lightly tinted cheeks, red contacts, wore a single rose in her hair, and was of average height. She was eighteen now, but her passion for manga and anime didn't falter. She still had all her cosplays and light novels from her adolescence, and wore the cosplays regularly. Kirino was seventeen, a year younger than she was, yet quite taller. She had light brunette hair and rosy cheeks, blue eyes, and hair pins. She too kept her anime related material, but also continued to show signs of maturity, as she spent some days rejecting boys and girls alike, as well as playing sports and furthering her career.

Ruri nibbled a pocky stick as she entered Toranoana and watched as Kirino walked up to a Stardust Witch Meruru section. Her eyes gleamed as she approached a display case. "Found a figure you don't have?" Ruri said.

Kirino spun around and pointed at a figure of Meruru. "This one is of her Apocalypse outfit in a color palette swap!" She held her hands to her chest and grinned, her cheeks showing pink.

"Why are you blushing?" She stood there for a second. "Why even ask that question?"

"I AM?" Kirino appeared shocked and shook her head, trying to regain her composure. "HAVE I STOPPED?"

Ruri smiled. "Well, you have stopped blushing so much, but now _everyone_ in the store is staring."

Kirino immediately began to blush again. "...Make them stop..."

Ruri turned to the crowd of confused and displaced customers. "If you don't stop, I'm afraid I'll have to tell the store keeper that you're staring at underage women." She then flipped her hair aside. "Or would you rather explain to police why a couple of underage girls kicked your ass?"

As customers began to return to their own activities, Kirino settled and let out her breath. "Thanks."

Ruri drew another pocky. "I'm sure you'd do the same for me."

Kirino giggled. "Maybe not something so extreme, but something similar."

"Kuroneko does **NOTHING** but the extreme." She exclaimed, adjusting her hair rose. She then turned to the shelves of Doujin.

Kirino laughed. "Well, do you think Kyousuke would like this?"

Ruri stopped thumbing through the fan manga and looked at Kirino from the corner of her eye. "What do you mean? He's studying at UCLA."

"He's coming back home." Kirino looked at the figurine. "He'll stay and study here for a year while he decides what he wants to do for a living."

Ruri nodded and began to nervously play with her fingers. "Should I get him something too?"

Kirino smiled. "I don't see why not." She looked up from the figurine. "Its not like you're professing your love to him with this gift." She turned to Ruri, smiling. "Right, Kuroneko?"

Ruri's eyes grew wide with fear and she began to blush. "Not at all!"

"Now _you're_ blushing."

Ruri, acknowledging this, began to breathe in and out in deep breaths. "Kirino, you're my best friend. That's your territory."

Kirino frowned. "You say that like there's hope for my brother and I."

"Who knows."

The two stood in awkward silence as customers entered and exited the warm shop. The rain had not let up and it was getting darker, meaning they'd have trouble getting home. Ruri motioned to Kirino to leave, and she walked to the counter. She paid for a few doujins and a Maschera pen, then walked outside. Kirino followed behind a minute later, a new Meruru figurine and a doujin in her bag. They walked from the shop to the subway. They both lived in Chiba, so it would be a nice ride home for the both of them.

The rain began to let up as the girls walked down the street to the subway station. Kirino still held her umbrella to herself as Ruri walked shortly behind, the hood of the jacket being her only protection from the light drizzle overhead.

"You wanna come by my place and watch Sword Art Online?" Kirino exclaimed. "Kirito and Asuna are supposed to confess tonight!" She grinned and played with her fingers. "I've shipped them since day one!"

Ruri grimaced. "I never really liked that pairing."

"EHHHH?" Kirino gasped. "I was sure EVERYONE loved KiriSuna!"

"Kirito and Leafa are a much better pairing." She smiled to herself. "She's so supportive."

Kirino shook her head. "I'll chalk that up to the cold."

"Chalk it up to whatever you like, that's my opinion."

They walked into the subway station to Chiba, bought their tickets, and boarded the train. They sat right next to each other, as there were a few shady men on the train and Ruri always carried a pocket knife. As the train rolled along, a question grew in Kirino's mind. She ran her fingers through her soft golden hair, licked her lips a bit, and sighed. "Do you still have feelings for Kyousuke?"

Ruri looked out of her window and watched the last few drops of rain splash against her window. "Of course not, Kirino." She lied, eating another pocky stick. "Do you?"

Kirino blushed. "Well, we can't be together legally, I know that..."

Ruri held her breath.

"But, I still love him..."

Ruri cringed, her fears realized. "How will you break it to him?"

Kirino looked down in sadness. "I'm not sure, Kuroneko. I'm not sure at all." A soft Meruru ringtone came from Kirino's purse. She jolted from surprise and flipped open her phone.

"Who is it?" Ruri asked.

"SHHHH!" Kirino hushed. She answered the phone and smiled. "Onii-chan?" She beamed, her eyes filling with tears. "You're back already?" "No, I'm not crying!" "Fine, I'll try to stop."

Ruri smiled and waved at the phone. "Tell him I said hello."

"Kuroneko said hi as well!" Kirino nodded. "He's home and he's going to watch Sword Art Online with us, right Kyousuke?"

Ruri giggled. "You know he's home all of ten minutes, and you're already asking him to watch anime?"

The train came to a stop and Kirino smiled. "Of course."

[] 30 Minutes Later []

Kirino busted through her front door, kicking her shoes aside, mud splattering across the tile. "MOM! DAD! KYOUSUKE!" She charged into her living room.

Ruri followed close behind, stepping out of her shoes daintily and tip-toeing over the mud tracked in. "I've never seen her this messy." She shook out her hair and hung up her jacket to reveal her red tee-shirt. Sighing, she moved into the living room.

"OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OH MY GOD!" Kirino tackled Kyousuke into a chair, hugging him. "I CANNOT BELIEVE YOU'RE HOME!" Ruri looked to see their parents, stunned.

Kyousuke was an average sized young man, around 19 years old. He was slender and fit, and had dark blue eyes. He too enjoyed manga and anime, but not nearly as much as Ruri or Kirino. However, he was smarter when it came to problem solving, something he'd been doing since his childhood. He hugged her back, his smile wide and laughing. "Hey there, Kirino." He ruffled her hair. "How've you been?"

Kirino laughed some more. "Yeah, I'm fine." She stood and beamed at him, and her parents still stunned.

Ruri locked eyes with Kyosuke as soon as he looked in her direction. "Welcome home, _senpai_."

Kyousuke's parents immediately shifted from Kirino to Ruri. "Kuroneko..." He whispered.

Kirino looked at the two and grew a fierce jealousy in her heart. _'Six minutes and she's already making him drool like she's Pavlov.'_ "Well, hey, why don't I get us some drinks!" She darted her eyes to Ruri. "Kuroneko, would you mind helping?"

Ruri shook herself. "Yes, I'll be right there." She did not break eye contact with Kyousuke as she walked to the kitchen. "What're you getting out?"

Kirino grinned. "Iced tea."

Kyousuke perked up. "Did someone say iced tea?" He walked into the kitchen and grinned. "I missed that _specific _brand of tea." He ran his fingers along the back of his neck.

Ruri nodded and pushed her hair back. "Interesting." She said, her eyes once again locking with Kyousuke's. "Tell me." She took a glass of tea from Kirino's set up. "Did the drinks over there," She sipped her tea. "Taste as good as the ones over here?" She set her cup down and cast a seductive grin.

Kyousuke gulped and took a glass from Kirino. "I don't think so." He grew nervous and walked to the couch. His parents still had not ceased to stare at Ruri.

Kirino, impatient, brought her parents some tea and sat down next to Kyousuke. "So, tell us about UCLA!"

Kyousuke was to begin, but Ruri excused herself before he could start. He nodded, and she stepped outside, the rain now no where to be found. However, the stars shown particularly well and she looked up into the night sky. She smiled and thought about how things might have gone, how much she missed Kyousuke, and just how much she really loved him. Ruri just stared at the moon.  
><em>"Oh, my love, my darling<em>  
><em>I've hungered, for your touch<em>  
><em>A long, lonely time<em>  
><em>Time goes by so slowly<em>  
><em>And time can do so much<em>  
><em>Are you still mine?<em>  
><em>I need your love<em>  
><em>I need your love<em>  
><em>God speed your love to me"<em>

She sang this song, and then proceeded inside the Kousaka home to hear about America and what Kyousuke had been up to.

A lone gust of wing carried a few scattered Cherry Blossom leaves along the wind, down the street.


	2. Chapter 2: Roger Rabbit

Ruri fluttered her eyes open, the sun beaming through her window shade. Her room was average, wood panels and painted walls of beige. Her bed was close to the floor and her desk faced the window, where her art supplies and pens sat. Alongside her cell phone, a single roll of paper sat upon the desk, characters and letters strewn across it. She had a single Maschera poster above her bed and a picture of Kirino, Kyosuke, Saori, and herself sitting with her lamp on her nightstand.

Ruri sat up and yawned. She moved a doujin she had been reading the previous night from her bed to her desk and pulled off her nightgown. '_What to wear today_?' She pondered. '_It may still rain today. Should I play it safe and wear simple clothes?_' She eyed a white jacket and blue jeans. Her eyes then darted to a red dress and jacket. '_Or should I be dangerous and wear that red dress?_' She smiled and pulled the dress off its hanger. '_Dress it is._' She set the dress on her bed and retreated to her bathroom. '_I'll take a shower, eat breakfast and the-_' Her phone began to ring. She scampered over to it and flipped it open.

[Caller ID: Senpai]

Ruri gasped and smiled. She answered the call and composed herself. "Hello?" She said coldly.

"Yo. It's Kyousuke." Ruri smiled and nodded. "I wanted to know if you'd like to go to the Justeen Cafe with Saori, Kirino, and I."

Ruri grinned but remained standoff-like. "Maybe. I'll have to cancel a thing or two, but I may show up. What time?"

A sigh of despair came from the other side of the call. "Around 11."

"And what time is it now?"

"Ten."

Ruri gasped. "ITS ALREADY TEN?" She shouted into her phone.

A yelp of pain blared through her phone. "Yes, yes it is."

"Shit!" Ruri cried. "I'll be there! Bye, Senpai."

Ruri hung up and dashed to her bathroom.

[] 50 Minutes Later []

Ruri, her hair tied back into a ponytail, walked along the sidewalk to the Justeen Cafe. It was a white building with a large Gundam protruding from the front, with pillars that appeared to hold the building up. '_Its changed a little bit._' Ruri hadn't been to the Justeen Cafe in a whole year, as she had been studying so much. '_Still, it is nice to be back._' She walked into the building to see marble floors and grey walls. Many people moved back and forth, wearing cosplay and casual clothing alike. Ruri smiled and peered into the crowd, looking for any sight of her friends. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Kyosuke, sitting in their usual table next to the wall-mounted television. He was smiling, and she liked that. '_Well then, Kirino. Let the games begin._' Ruri walked over with a kind of swagger that made her look confident. She let out her hair, letting it swing behind her head. Her cheeks flushed and she held one hand to her chest, the other grasping a small purse.

"Kirino! Kyosuke! Saori!" Ruri called, her voice sultry and demanding.

Kyosuke turned his head slightly to his left, his eyes fixed on Ruri. He grinned and stood. "I didn't get a proper welcome last night." He walked to her and opened his arms. "Now can I have a hug?"

Ruri blushed. "If y- you want one." She slipped her arms underneath his and held close to him. His arms wrapped around her neck, one hand resting on the back of her head. "Welcome back, Senpai."

Kyosuke released her and sat down. "Its good to be home." He stretched and moved to the side. "Sit next to me. Saori wanted to talk to us."

Saori, a tall woman with teal hair and odd glasses, stood and placed both hands on the table. She had an evil grin about her face, and her new yellow plaid shirt didn't make things less tense. "So, listen." She drew a peice of paper from her backpack and laid it out, its creases neatly centered. On it read, '_Elizabeth, Booker, Rosalind, The Lady._' She smiled. "There's a cosplay contest out in Akiba focused on gaming. Alongside it, there's a grand prize."

Kirino, her hair pins loosely holding strands of hair, perked up. "Is it figurines?"

"Money?" Kyosuke asked.

Ruri smiled. "Games?"

Saori laughed. "Even better." She leaned in and the others drew close. "It's an opportunity to recieve a piece of collectible wear from any genre you choose, and there are no limits!"

Kirino set her head on the table with a silly grin on her face. "That's **fantastic**, Saori." She moaned. "Anything from anywhere without limits."

Kyosuke nodded. "What do we wear?"

"I've taken the liberty of picking our outfits from _Bioshock: Infinite!_ It has characters that we can cosplay as and not feel uncomfortable!" Saori stood and picked up her drink. "I'm going to get a fresh drink." She tapped Kirino. "Kiririn, do you mind coming with me?"

Kirino perked up and slid out of her chair. "I suppose so." She darted her eyes to Kyousuke. "I'll be right back, Aniki." She waved and threw a smug grin at Ruri, her hair bobbing with every step.

"Alright, don't take too long!" Kyousuke leaned back and smiled. "Its good to be home, Kuroneko."

Ruri glanced up to see Kyousuke staring at her. She blushed. "I'm sorry I didn't stay to hear about UCLA." She ran one hand through her hair. "Why didn't you go to Tokyo University?"

Kyousuke immediately lost his smile. He looked down at his hands and stared at the wall with contempt. "Manami was going to school there."

"Weren't you childhood friends?"

"Yeah, we were." He sighed. "After she found out about Kirino," He looked around. "And me, we had a falling out." Twirling the straw in his drink, he shook his head. "I couldn't look at her the same after knowing how she was behind my back..."

Ruri nodded. "I see her around sometimes. She still shoots me dirty looks..." She looked at Kyousuke and began to choke up. "I'm sorry."

Kyousuke was taken aback. "What for?"

"...For destroying the Destiny Record all those years ago..."

Kyousuke recalled a night in the street. They stood there, two years and a month ago, as Kyousuke announced his feelings for Kirino to Kuroneko, even denying a future relationship, only because he felt he loved his sister as a lover would. When he had finished, Kuroneko screamed and destroyed the Destiny Record, a book whose contents were mostly unknown to Kyousuke, but he knew most of them had to do with him. When she destroyed it, he remembered feeling destroyed as well, almost on the verge of tears. She didn't talk to him for nearly a month, but he understood why. Still, the destruction of that book haunted him all through College, right up to getting his Associates Degree.

"Ruri, its okay." He spoke softly, sliding his hands into hers. "I know why you did what you did, and there's no way we can change it, but that was years ago. We were kids."

Ruri let only three tears stream down her cheeks before she shook them away. "But I destroyed who we were."

Kyousuke straightened up. "Who we were," He pointed at his chest. "And who we are, those are separate realities. We are here now, and that's what matters."

Ruri smiled, her eyes in tune with his. She went to speak, but was cut off. She slid her hands away from Kyousuke's.

"Kyousuke! Kuroneko!" Saori called. "Ready to go over our cosplay?"

Kirino rushed up to meet them. "But what ever happened to Michi Arai?" She sat next to Saori and looked to her. "Wasn't she in our circle as well?"

Saori laughed. "Yes, well, when we...sort of...stopped meeting for a while, she moved to another circle."

Kyousuke sighed. "What the hell happened to you guys when I left?"

All three girls looked at Kyousuke with pained eyes. "What happened?" They said in unison.

Kyouske backed against the low wall, scared. "I only asked a **question**!"

Saori took off her glasses and looked at her plate. "Well, to be honest, it was a similar effect as to when my sister left." She sipped on her soda.

"I went back to hard study and track, and even though I still played eroge, I never really had time anymore." Kirino said. A sorrow look embraced her face, and she rested her chin on the table. "I slowly lost all we had built."

Ruri leaned on her hands. "I've had to take care of my sisters since my father went to work in Nagoya." She ran her hands through her hair. "My sisters and I couldn't pack up and leave everything, so he asked me to watch over them for a while. He came home a few weeks ago, but now they want him to work in Seattle." She leaned back. "He never really gets a break."

"My story is just like the one I told before." Saori fiddled with her glasses as she spoke. "I lost all my closest friends and returned to being a shut in." She rolled her head as Kirino stroked it. "The only one I could talk to was Ayase, but she didn't share the interests I did, so it was lonely. As soon as Michi left, I went back to writing and the Internet."

Kyousuke looked at the girls one by one, each with their own pained face. He sighed. "I lost something while I was away too." All three of them looked up. "I lost my best friends. I grew to love each and every one of you in a unique way, and you all impacted my life in such a beautiful way." He rubbed the back of his head. "Over there, I didn't understand English so well, so I had a hard time making friends. The only two I met who I thoroughly enjoyed talking to were Caster and Richard." He leaned back. "They went to a different school, but they and their friend didn't live far from me, and I met them one day coming back from a movie." He smiled and Kirino leaned in closer. "They both spoke Japanese and helped me learn English a bit better, and I taught them Japanese a little better. We played games and whatnot, but they weren't as dependable as you, Saori. They weren't as interesting as you, Kirino. They weren't as playful as you, Kuroneko." He smiled a dark smile. "I lost my best friends, but I'm happy I'm back home with you."

Kirino and Saori teared up as Ruri pulled Kyousuke in for a hug. The other two stood and embraced him from behind as Ruri began to sing into his ear.

"_Nobody's gonna love you if_  
><em>You can't display a way to capture this<em>  
><em>Nobody's gonna hold your hand<em>  
><em>And guide you through<em>  
><em>No it's up for you to understand<em>  
><em>Nobody's gonna feel your pain<em>  
><em>When all is done<em>  
><em>And it's time for you to walk away<em>  
><em>So when you have today<em>  
><em>You should say all that you have to say<em>"

Ruri sang as the other two wept a little. Kirino kissed her brothers cheek as he leaned back. "Thank you, guys. I think I needed that."

Kirino looked at Ruri. "That was beautiful, Kuroneko."

She beamed. "Thank you, Kirino."

Saori wiped her eyes clean and sighed. "Alright, then. Ready for your cosplay assignment?"

Kirino and Kyousuke nodded. Ruri laughed. "Leave it to us!" They cried in unison.

Saori smiled. "As excited as ever." She flipped the peice of paper that sat on the table and pointed at a blue and white dress with a short tie. There was a ponytail flowing behind it and a pair of black leather heels. "Kuroneko, you will wear this outfit to cosplay the daring Elizabeth Comstock." She then pointed at a beige dress-suit with its hair tied back. Once again, a short tie sat upon the neck. "Kirino, you will wear this one, as Rosalind Lutece." She then stroked a long dress, reminiscent of Elizabeth's. "This is mine. I will be Lady Comstock." She then touched on a final suit, open at the center, and once more, a tie hung loosely around his neck. It was brown in color, with accents of blue. "Kyousuke, I want you to use this one and play Booker DeWitt!"

The four sat around the table, laughing and talking about their cosplay. Kyousuke, for once, seemed genuinely interested in his outfit, and Kirino smiled at her own. Ruri shook out her hair and wrapped it up in a bow to see how it'd look, and she loved it. As the time throughout the day wound down, the four continued to catch up and talk.

'_This is what I came back for._' Kyousuke thought.

'_I'm so glad we're a group again._' Saori thought.

'_I wonder how handsome he's going to look in that cosplay._' Kirino pondered.

Ruri just sat there, smiling. '_Listen to your own song, Ruri._'


	3. Chapter 3: Powerless

There was a crack of lightning outside as another spring shower began to come down. A boom was heard not too long afterwards, and Ruri shook out her hair. She eyed the costume sitting in the corner of her room. It was just like it was in Saori's drawing: A dress, accented blue and white, with a short tie and leather heels. She admired this costume, her eyes combing it for anything missing from the picture. The costume was spot on, so Ruri set aside the drawing.

_'Does he still love me?' _She tortured herself, thinking of all the different outcomes and paths, a series of constants and variables. _'I'm so confused, and the way he talks to both me and Kirino...it doesn't help...'_ She flopped backwards onto her bed, pulling a pillow in for an embrace. _'My feelings right now...familiar...'_ She recalled only 3 years before, when she first developed feelings for Kyousuke. Sure, she loved him, but so did his sister, and she didn't want to interfere. However, her feelings eventually got the best of her, and she fell in love with him.

_'I feel like everything is repeating itself...' _She hugged the pillow tighter. _'This time, I don't think things will be the same.' _Rain pitter pattered on the window and a howling wind broke the silence of her room. The lights began to flicker on and off. Ruri jumped up and looked out of her window to see her transformer. Sure enough, it was getting rocked back and forth by the wind. She shook her head, laid back down, and took out her phone. _'I don't want Kirino to stop talking to me...' _She hadn't any messages. _'...But I really want him. There is no way his sister can be that cute.' _She rolled over onto her back and sighed. _'Text me, stupid. Tell me what's going through your head.' _She looked at her contacts and found Kirino's number. She hesitated, not knowing if Kirino was okay with the idea. _'She could be mad...' _Ruri thought, her mind still rolling out constants and variables. After a few minutes, she shook her head. _'I'll wait for her to text me.'_

"I should have said what I wanted to." She thought back to the Justeen Cafe, and getting cut off right before speaking. "I wanted to tell you just how much I love you. I don't think you'd have said the same to me if I didn't say it first, but I wanted to." She murmured. Then, she smiled. "When I next see you, I promise you Senpai, I'll tell you just how much I love you."

[] 30 Minutes Prior, Kousaka Residence []

Kirino Kousaka sat in the middle of her room, her eyes twitching. The rain had started its downpour, and a small crack of lightning shone in the distance, followed by a thoom soon after. Leaves and paper alike flew past her window, and she watched every one of them circle in the hard winds. Her eyes dimmed out as she looked at Kyousuke's picture on her nightstand. It was a picture of him at his graduation that Daisuke, her father, had given her as a gift. _'Damn horny cat.' _She thought, clenching her fists. _'I'm her best friend. How __**DARE **__she lie to me!' _She began to punch at the air. _'And you, idiot! Flirting with her, making it seem like I'm not there!' _She glared at her brother's picture on her nightstand. _'You promised me that you'd come back to me.' _She began to tear up, her bottom lip trembling. _'I love you Kyousuke...Why can't you love me anymore?' _She cried, feelings of betrayal and pain flooding her mind and heart. All she could do was cry.

She laid back, her hands shaking. Tears streamed down her cheeks and her eyes squinted, making her want to cry more. She wiped her eyes and buried her face in her arms. _'Kuroneko...Ruri. Please...' _She looked at her phone a few feet away from her. _'Call me, text me, talk to me or something! I don't want us to fight!' _She pressed her face into her arms, waiting for a bing to let her know she received a message. She chuckled. _'Oh God, I might be bipolar.'_

She stayed that way for ten minutes, just waiting for a sign of life from her friend. No such bing came, but she remained in her own arms, on the verge of tears again.

Then, there was a knock at the door.

"Kirino? It's me, Kyousuke." He said through the door. "May I come in?"

Kirino grew angry again. "Why? What do you want?"

A desperate sigh came from the other side of the door. "I...have to discuss something with you."

Kirino stood and shook her head. She reached for the door and swung it open to see a trembling Kyousuke. "Bro...what's got you so shaken?"

"We just...we just need to talk..."

[] Present, Gokuo Residence []

Ruri struggled with her phone, with her mind, deciding whether or not she should text Kirino. Strands of hair fell onto her face as she grew further frustrated, her eyes focusing on the small picture of a blue eyed brunette. _'I can't decide, dammit.' _She flung her pillow across the room as a crack of thunder boomed overhead. She jumped, already skiddish from the frustration built up in her system. She let out and angry sigh and collapsed, a migraine on the horizon.

"_Bzzt._"

Ruri scrambled to her phone and flipped it open. A green message indicator blinked neon in the dark, and she opened it. Sure enough, Kirino had texted her. She inhaled and opened the message. She closed her eyes immediately, fearing the worst. _'She's angry with me.' _She grew paranoid. _'She doesn't want to see me anymore.' _She exhaled. _'I have to look.' _She opened her eyes and scanned the message. Her heart almost imploded with each letter.

_"Looks like Kyousuke and I are back together! He asked me out again!" _Kirino's texting habits were usually erratic, but this seemed almost contained, premeditated. Ruri had only read a text from Kirino that confined and leveled once before, and it didn't bear good news for her last time either.

Ruri's eyes welled up, her mind overloaded and tired. She climbed into bed and cried to herself, her pain and frustration culminating in anger at last.

[] Ten minutes earlier, Kousaka Residence []

Kirino's hands were entwined with Kyousuke's, and she met his lips for a kiss. She inhaled, his soft lips pressing against her own, and her heart skipped a beat. She let herself fall into the kiss, her mind and heart melting with each passing second. She pulled back, her eyes connected with Kyousuke's. "What about the black one? I just texted her, but she's not responding."

Kyousuke nodded. "She will **not** take this easily. At all." His hands cupped her face. "But...when I look at her, I don't feel what I feel when I look at you."

Kirino blushed and turned away. "What are you saying to me, you siscon." She smiled and cast a gaze back his way. "Don't tell me you've fallen for your little sister so quickly."

Kyousuke smiled. "I've wanted to be here with you the entire time I was in California." He looked out of Kirino's window. "I was trembling because I wasn't sure if you wanted to pick up where we left off, you know?"

Kirino nodded. "I was so scared that you'd forgotten about us, that you'd go to someone else."

Kyousuke brought her in for another kiss, their lips trembling again, and their hearts raced like never before. Kyousuke leaned her back, and they remained entwined for the rest of the night.

[] The Next Morning, Kousaka Residence []

Kyousuke awoke with Kirino wrapped around him. Her soft, warm body clung to him like clothing, which he had none of. He panicked, rushing to get dressed and get out before his parents came in. Kirino awoke to see him hurridly getting dressed.

"Kyousuke?" She muttered.

He turned with much more fear. "Don't worry babe, I'm just going to my room before Dad wakes up."

She blushed. "Babe?" She muttered to herself, then looked at her clock. "Its already five?"

Kyousuke fell over his pants and muffled a pained yelp. He shook his head and exhaled. "Yeah, its five." He pulled his pants on and picked up his shirt. "That makes it all that much more important to get out!"

Kirino smiled. "Last night was great."

Kyousuke stopped and smiled. "It was, wasn't it?" He hurried over to kiss her once more, nearly falling again, and scurried to his own room. His computer was still on, and he had two messages: One from Saori and one from Kuroneko. He smiled and opened the message from Saori first. It was quite long, and Kyousuke looked at it with an unsure look. Still, he read it.

_"Greetings, Kyousuke-san. It's been quite the week, hasn't it? Well, I hope you haven't done __**too much **__since you've come home, but I leave that to you. I'd rather find out how much you like your cosplay. Does it fit? Do I need to make alterations? If so, get back to me as soon as possible, because that contest is __**next week**__. Closer than I thought, so let me know, okay? Okay. Now then, I also ask you a favor. Would you mind paying for our lunch that day? I'd usually do it, but I'm trying to limit myself now. I got...reckless with my spending. Anywho, I'll not take up anymore of your time. Take care, Kyousuke._  
><em>~ Saori."<em>

Kyousuke laughed and glanced over at the beige suit hung on his door. _'It is a nice suit.' _He thought, smiling. He then looked back to his computer and saw the message from Kuroneko. He grinned, hoping it was about her cosplay. He clicked it open.

_"So, Senpai, you play with my heart again? Is this what we are? Really? After all we'd been through, and you still choose your...sister. You know, when I said I wanted a future where the three of us could be happy and honest, I __**never**__ meant I wanted you to fuck your sister. I wanted to be with you. Hell, I still do. But you're home a week and already are back with Kirino. Pervert. I'll always be your friend, Kyousuke, but you've broken my heart for the __**last **__time._

_I watched you fall apart and chased you to the end._  
><em>I'm left with emptiness that words cannot defend.<em>  
><em>You'll never know what I became because of you.<em>  
><em>Ten thousand promises, ten thousand ways to lose.<em>

_And you held it all but you were careless to let it fall._  
><em>You held it all and I was by your side, powerless."<em>

Kyousuke was taken aback. He held his forehead with great pressure and began to hyperventilate. He shook his head and threw himself backwards from his computer. _'After all we'd been through, and you still choose your sister.'_ He stood and opened his window. _'I wanted to be with you.' _He shook his head erratically, dew beginning to crest on his window sill. _'I'm left with emptiness that words cannot defend.' _Kyousuke leaned his head on his wall, overlooking Tokyo, the rest of Chiba, and a hill with a single tree at the peak. He inhaled the dew filled air, his lungs feeling pressured, yet freshened. _'You've broken my heart for the last time.'_

Kyousuke went back to bed, but did not go back to sleep.

[] 5 Minutes Before, Kirino's Room []

Kirino smiled and wrapped her naked body in her blanket. _'That was fun.' _She touched her hair, which seemed to be all over the place. She fiddled with her sex hair, pulling at the strands. _'I wonder if he enjoyed it as much as he should have despite me calling him Onii-chan the whole time?' _She cast a joyous, loving smile at the ceiling. "I'm sure he loves it as much as I do." She muttered to herself. She looked at her phone to see that Kuroneko hadn't responded to her all night. _'I won, but I don't feel like I did.' _She thought. Her eyes closed. "Things will be better in the morning. By then, she'd have texted me, praising me on resuming my relationship. I mean, she did say it was my territory. I've done no wrong." She whispered to herself. "If so, then why do I feel so...bad?"

Kirino went to sleep with her mind cluttered and her heart full of love. She had the one thing she cherished most back in her life, and thats all that mattered.


	4. Chapter 4: What We Don't Know

Ruri struggled with the tie around her neck. It was long and silky, and she hadn't tied it correctly the first time through. It was the day of the cosplay contest, and many people from all around Akiba were gathered to win Merchandise from their favorite series. The room was large and bland, but there was a stage that was decorated in many different colors, making the room more lively. A few Links from _The Legend of Zelda _and a Zangief from _Street Fighter_ stuck out the most in a room full of dark grays and dim whites. Ruri and Saori quickly ducked into an empty dressing room, which wasn't much different from the main hall. Save for a brighter light and a mirror, this room was also very bland. Ruri flipped her hair back as Saori tied it into a braid. "Be careful with my scalp. I only have one."

Saori smiled and swirled Ruri's hair around her finger. "Don't worry, Ruri. I'm good at styling hair." She looked away and smiled. "Besides, its not like you need to try to look nice."

Ruri blushed. "What are you saying?"

"That you naturally look nice." Saori smiled. "From one girl to another."

Ruri smiled. "Th- thank you Saori."

"Its no problem, Ruri." She looked around. "Where is Miss Kiririn and Kyousuke?

Ruri closed her eyes. "I don't know. Maybe a broom closet."

Saori laughed, heartily at first, but upon seeing Ruri's pained face, her laughter died. "What ah, what do you mean?"

"She sent me a text message last night telling me that they were dating again."

"Again?" More people were filing into the dressing rooms, and noises of sharp bangs and ruffled bags seemed to increase in volume as the two stood in abject silence. Saori was stunned, as she had no idea that Kirino had once more put the moves on Kyousuke. "Does anyone but us know?"

"Well, she's not stupid enough to tell Ayase or Kanako, nor would they say anything to Sena and Mikagami." Ruri looked in the mirror and admired her look. "Its been two years. By now, everyone would probably think it'd be gross and unhealthy." She adjusted the collar on her shirt and grinned to herself. "Besides, do you think either of them would tell anyone who might tell their parents?" She waved her hand in the air in disapproval. "Hell no. They'd rather elope to Russia over telling anyone who might see it as disgusting."

Saori sighed, straightening her own hair. "Well, I hope they don't do anything _too_ stupid."

Ruri looked at herself in the mirror one last time, checking for inconsistencies between her cosplay and the drawing. Everything seemed to match up, so she looked out into the main hall again. She saw more and more people filing in, and now the guests for the show were filling seats. She turned around and smiled at Saori before sitting down. _'What is taking them __**so **__long?'_ She thought to herself. Her smile began to fade and her eyes began to well up. _'Why didn't he pick me?'_ She shook her head, a loose tear dropping from her face. _'No. Not here. I have make up on that took an hour to put on. I will __**NOT**__ mess this up.' _She straightened up and looked to Saori, a gleam in her eye. "Saori. Call the Kousakas. They're late."

Saori nodded and pulled out her cell phone. "I got it." She smiled and looked at herself in the mirror. "Do...do I look big in this?"

Ruri giggled. "No, but you always look tall." She grinned and pointed at the cell phone in Saori's hand.

Saori nodded and dialed Kyousuke's number. She waited a short while before smiling. "Kyousuke? Its Saori! I noticed you two were late." She stood there for a second, her smile widening. "Stuck at McDonalds? Why?" She laughed lightly and groaned. "Okay then! Ruri and I haven't eaten. Mind getting us something, Kyou-chan?" Her smile faded. "Fine, I wont call you that. Food, though?" She smiled once more. "Okay. Ten minutes? Gotcha. Contest starts in forty. See ya!"

Ruri scoffed. "A McDonalds? I didn't think she'd eat something before a contest."

"Strange thing is, she's not the only one whose hungry. He said that he'd had a rough night and was exceptionally hungry. Something about drained of fluids, too." Saori shrugged. "I wonder what affliction he may have."

Ruri grimaced. "I have a faint idea." She pushed the dirty images to the back of her head. "I guess we'll have to wait."

Saori nodded. "And then, its **COSPLAY TIME!**"

"Cosplay time." She replied.

[] McDonalds, Ten Minutes Earlier []

Kirino walked into the old fashioned McDonalds with an angry look on her face. She looked around. It was oak interior with seats made of wood and a bamboo counter. She grimaced at the counter. While it looked nice, it was still a McDonalds. _'The one time I eat before a contest and he takes me to a burger joint.' _She shook her head. "And why was the noodle place not okay?"

Kyousuke walked in behind her, his hair every which way. "Did you see their health rating? Yeesh." He stuck his finger in his mouth. "I don't think so." He straightened up and smiled. "Besides, the chicken nuggets here are the best!" He cast a loving look at the McDonalds menu.

Kirino laughed. "I've seen you eat leftovers from a week ago."

"Did I cook it?"

"Yes."

"Then shut up." He smiled and walked to the counter, rubbing her head as he walked to it.

She cast a dissatisfied look. "Still, I don't know if a burger is a good idea." She looked at her stomach. "If I get fat, what would I do?"

"Plus-size modeling." He smiled at her. "You look fi-YEOUCH!"

She stomped on his toes. "Don't say things like that." She demanded, her eyes intense and assertive.

Kyousuke grimaced and let out a low laugh. "Okay, okay." He shook out his hair, exhaled, and stood up straight. "So, what do you want to eat? A burger? Nuggets? Maybe a salad?"

Kirino looked at the menu, trying to be disgusted. However, everything in her body made her want a Big Mac. "I'll just get...a..."

_'JUST SAY IT ITS SO SIMPLE!' _

"...a..."

_'WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING! SAY BIG MAC!' _

"...big..."

_'SAY IT FOR CHRISTS SAKE!'_

"...mac..."

_'FINALLY!'_

Kyousuke smiled. "Alright. Combo?"

Kirino's eyes widened as she looked at the fries and the sweet tea in the back. She winced. _'YOU KNOW WHAT TO SAY, GOD DAMMIT!'_

Kyousuke's phone began to ring. He perked up and answered, leaving Kirino hanging. "Yo." He laughed a bit. "Yeah, sorry about that. We're stuck at a McDonalds two blocks from you." Suddenly, his look turned sheepish. "I've had quite a busy 24 hours, and I'm super hungry, not to mention thirsty. God am I thirsty." A small voice mumbled something about being absolutely correct in the back of the McDonalds. "Spare me the questions 'till we get there, okay?" He stood, tapping his foot, then abruptly stopped. "Don't. Call. Me. Kyou-chan. Ever." He exhaled for a few seconds, then mumbled a yes. "Later Saori."

Kirino was still trying to speak up. _'ITS AS SIMPLE AS "YES, PLEASE!" THATS IT!'_ She opened her mouth, then immediately closed it. _'WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?'_

"I'm getting everyone a combo, so relax." He said, placing his right hand on her head. "Leave it to me!"

Kirino blushed and smiled. "O-okay, Aniki." She leaned on a railing in the restaurant and waited for Kyousuke to order. "Do you think we'll make it in time?"

By the time she finished her sentence, Kyousuke was already returning with their food. "Yep. Grab the drinks off the counter."

"EHHHH? DON'T YOU THINK ITS A BIT ODD THAT THE FOOD WAS READY?"

"Not really. Its quicker."

Kirino looked disgusted at last. "I'm going to die." She slid over to the drinks and took the small cardboard holder.

Kyousuke laughed again. "If you do, I'll bury your ashes alongside a gross dirt road in Okinawa."

"No, not that." She mumbled.

"Well, try not to die." He smiled and opened the door for her. "Lets go, Miss Lutece. Columbia awaits."

Kirino grinned and waltzed through the open door. "Won't you join me, Mr. DeWitt?"

Kyousuke looked at her with a soft smile. "Of course, m'lady."

Kyousuke hurried after her, two large paper bags in one hand, her hand in the other.

[] Present []

Ruri checked her watch. Her solid blue eyes focused on her the minute hand as it slowly etched its way towards the halfway point. "You know, every time I call that girl, she never picks up."

"Michi?" Saori replied. She watched as Ruri nodded and sighed. "As soon as she met Azusa they were instant best friends."

Ruri shrugged and leaned back. "Let me know when they get here." She exhaled and put in her ear buds. She relaxed as she listened to music, the sounds enveloping her and making her feel safe. She began to sing along.

_"This is how we fall apart_  
><em>But this is how beginnings start<em>  
><em>Cause when our heads betray our hearts<em>  
><em>We fake what we don't know<em>  
><em>And if our doubt begins again<em>  
><em>The answers find us in the end<em>  
><em>So in the meantime we'll pretend<em>  
><em>And fake what we don't know." <em>

Saori grinned. "I didn't know you listened to Linkin Park."

"Huh?" Ruri took her headphones off.

"I said," Kyousuke and Kirino walked into the room. Kirino looked unappeased and Kyousuke looked tired and drained, yet pleasant. They carried the food and drinks in, and Kirino made a dash for the dressing room. "They're here!" Saori cheered.

"Sorry we're late." Kyousuke sat in a spare chair and smiled. "But, at least we have food."

"Stop apologizing so much." Ruri said, her voice cold and demanding. She looked at the bag. "Thank you for the meal."

"It was no problem." Kyousuke looked uneasy, uncomfortable. He played with his collar. "You look nice."

She didn't even react. Ruri moved the DeWitt costume to his table. "When she gets out, get dressed."

Kyousuke looked down at his hands. "I'm sorry, you know."

"Didn't I just tell you to stop apologizing?"

"Yes, bu-"

"Then do it."

Ruri walked out of the room adjusting her neckband. Kyousuke watched as she walked out of the room, a sadness welling up in his eyes and heart. He shook his head. "She hates me."

Saori sighed. "She did love you, Kyousuke. More than Ayase, more than Manami, Kanako, and possibly more than your sister." She looked in the mirror. "You see, she fell in love with you immediately, and what she wanted was a perfect future. One in which you, she, and Kirino could spend time together without the bitterness." Saori cast a look down at Kyousuke. "She was only trying to get you and your sister to be close. She wanted peace." The cheers of people in the auditorium rang. "She never expected you to fall in love with your sister. That was the one thing she never counted on. You did, and it devastated her. Now, when she believed she'd get a second chance of sorts, you've gone and broken her heart a second time."

Kyousuke began to cry. "I never wanted that to happen."

"You couldn't have avoided it." She looked at the dressing room Kirino sat in. "When one heart is pleased, there's bound to be a few who are in pain. Its the way the world works."

He wiped his eyes. "What do I do?"

She frowned at him. "What can you do? Break up with Kirino to run to Kuroneko? I don't think so. It doesn't work like that. You'll lose both love and respect from both of them."

"Why is all of this so frustrating?"

"Love usually is, Kyousuke."

Kirino walked out of the dressing room in her cosplay, the beige dress and white undershirt matching her skin tone quite well. "Well, how do I look?"

Kyousuke looked up at her and forced a smile. "You look great."

Kirino blushed. "Yeah?" She spun in place, her skirt lightly picking up from knee level. Her hair swung with her, leaving a blur of hair around her head. "Its supposed to be in a bun, right?"

"Yes. She's a very old fashioned woman from English descent, so she's very prim and proper." Saori replied, tossing her a hair tie.

Kyousuke stood and grabbed his cosplay from the rack. "I'll be but a minute."

Saori nodded. "Messy hair, Mr. DeWitt!"

He smirked and ducked into the booth. He exhaled and took off his shirt. _'I'll have until the end of this expo to decide...'_ He ran his hands through his hair, messing it up. _'I don't know if I can make this decision alone. Something has to tell me the right choice...' _He looked at his cosplay and smirked once more. "Damn, I will look good in that."

[] Outside the Room []

Kirino walked outside their room with a bag of food to see the crowd of people in their cosplays, and a lone Ruri sitting down near the door. She swallowed and tried to fake a smile as she sat in the chair next to her. She held out her bag to Ruri. As Ruri turned to look at her, her pale white skin gave off an eerie glow. "You hungry, Ruri?" Kirino asked.

Ruri reluctantly took the bag and nodded. "Thank you."

Kirino smiled for real. "You're welcome." Her eyes lit up. "You excited?"

"Yes." She drug her finger along her jawline. "The quicker I get out of this make up, the better."

"Why? It looks quite nice on you!" Kirino pointed at her dress. "I don't like wearing this dress. Its awful."

Ruri gave it a quick once over and closed her eyes, leaning her head back. "It brings out your eyes."

"R-really?"

"Yes."

Kirino smiled, but that smile quickly faded. "Hey, Ruri?"

"Yes?"

"Do you...hate me?"

Ruri opened her eyes and darted them at Kirino. She sat forward and turned to face her, her eyes burning with intensity and pain. "Hate you?" She smirked. "Well, Kirino..."


End file.
